Miss Controversy: Beauty Organisers Battle To Clear name

By Joyce Mensah Nsefo

Accra - As controversy rages over the winner of last Saturday's Miss Ghana Beauty Pageant, the organisers of the event say the rumpus has no basis."We are very open. It is not in our interest to see A or B win. At the end of the day, we want Ghana to be effectively represented at the Miss World Pageant. It is not our organisation she would be representing," Mr. Reginald D. Laryea, chairman of Media Whizz Kids, organisers of the event, told Chronicle.

He said rather than discrediting the seven-member panel of judges, Ghanaians should praise them for not being influenced by the sentiment of the audience, many of whom were not conversant with the criteria for judging the event.

At this year's glittering event held at the International Conference Centre last Saturday, the announcement of the judges' choice was received with mixed reactions, while a section jubilated, the other booed and jeered, claiming the crown was sold out.

The displeased audience who considered their favourite, 1st runner-up, Felicia Olendra Ocloo, 22, a better choice, stormed out of the auditorium, openly expressing their disapproval.Laryea told the Chronicle that with the Miss World Pageant in mind, the judges were specifically to look out for their vital statistics, poise, dress sense, eloquence, facial, walk among others.

"Apart from the performance of the day, the contestants were pre-judged, where the judges took a critical look at them. "Besides, the maximum points a judge could award was five points", he said.

Mariam beat Felicia by about nine points, indicating a scenario where between the seven judges Felicia could have scored one or two points less that of Mariam.

The other contestants in the pageant also openly protested. Emerging suddenly at the left door to the back stage upon the announcement, they joined in chorus "No, no, no".

Laryea, however, deplored their action, branding them the worst losers, looking back on 14 Miss Ghana pageants the organisation had organised over the years.By press time last Monday, the Chronicle learnt that the other contestants had stormed the offices of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation to announce their impending press conference yesterday, to formally register their protest.

Sources at GBC informed the paper that the girls would call for a formal investigation into the organisation of the pageant.

Aside the controversy, the organisation of the pageant was superb. The girls were better groomed and exhibited a high level of intelligence more than in the previous ones, an improvement over the years.